Lighter



April 1, 1952 N. NORDENSTAM 2,591,189

LIGHTER Filed Aug. 18, 1949 n. I] Li INVENTCR.

O ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 1, 1952 NITED :S TATES PAT ENT OFFICE LIGHTER'NorrisNordensta-m, Riverside, Calif.

Application August 18, 1949, Serial No. 111,010

3 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to an improved lighter construction of atype in which a cap, in

opening, causes a friction wheel to generate a spark .forqigniting thelighter, and is a continuation in part of my prior patent applicationfiled January 3, 1949, Serial No. 68,902, new abandoned.

,An object of the present-invention is to provide an improved lighterconstruction including a novel actuating member to facilitate operationof the-friction wheel.

Another object-oi the present invention is to provide an improvedlighter zconstruction characterized by its simplicity and relativelysmall :numberof parts which maybemade and assembled with relativelyunskilled personnel using present day mass production methods.

iAnother object of the present invention is to providean improveddepresser or treadle bar-connected in' a novel manner to toggle linkagefor moving afriction wheel.

-Another object of the present invention :is to provide an improvedlighter construction inwhich there is a-novel,cooperationbetween atreadle 'bar A and -a friction wheel, the springbeing connected betweensuch two elements either to normally maintain the lighter cap in aprotective position over the lighter wick or in a stableretractedposition awayfrom such lighter wick.

Another object of the present invention is to provide ,auimprovedlighter construction of the character described in which a spring isassociated with the lighter cap and an actuating treadle :bar ,in suchamanner that the ,cap in its retractedposition causesthespring to assumean v overcenter position ,toholdrthecap in a retracted position.

Thefeatures of the present invention which are believed' to be novelareset forth with particularity inthe appended claims. This inventionitself,

both as to its organization and manner of operation, together withfurther objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood byreference to the following description taken in con nection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a cigarette 2 Figure 4 isa-topplanviewiofthe lighter shown in Figure 1 with portions thereoffragmented to show internal structure, and i Figure 5 is :a view similarto the viewof Figure 1 2"and shows a modified arrangement in which a,conventionalmanner, lighter-fluidin contact with the .wick l l, :whichis lit when the friction Wheel [2 is rotated to frictionally engage thespring pressed flintrod ,l lto generate;sparksv The wi-ck construction,as well as the ,meansuwhereby the flint I4 is spring pressed, followsconventional construction. a

The present invention relates :to the improved means whereby thefriction wheel i2 is rotated, including the specificccnstructional andmounting features of the depresser or treadle bar i8, and

associated spring 20. The friction wheel 12 is rotatable about theaxisiof shaft tBmountedfor rotation on opposite sides :of .the casing10. The

friction wheel i2 carries a ratchet :wheel 23 ;for cooperation with thepawl member 21 mounted on the cap 22. which is affixed on opposite sidewalls of easing H), is the cap member 22 which, in its position shown inFigure 1, prevents evaporation of the lighter fluid from the wick H.

The depresser bar I8 is linked to the cap 22 by means of the coiledtorque spring 20 which, besides serving as a link, produces a ,desirablemutual bias between such cap 22 and ltreadle .bar ill to achieveimportant features of the present invention. This bar l-B is adaptedrtopivot about the axis of pin 26, which is affixed to opposite side wallsof the casing H]. The torque spring 20 has its free ends bent inwardlyand laterally through apertured portions 22A in thecap, while anintermediate portion 21A of :the coiled spring 2c is extended to abutthe abutment 29 fastened,

as for example, by welding to the underside of the hollow treadle barl8, whereby the cap 22 tends to be rotated counterclockwise in Figure 1,and on the other hand, the treadle bar l8 tends to be rotated clockwiseabout its pivot pin 26. Such counterclockwise rotation of the cap 22 inFigure 1 is, of course, limited by its engagement with the upper end ofthe wick holder. Such engagement of the cap 22 with the upper end of thewick holder 30 results, of course, in limiting the otherwise clockwiserotation of the treadle Also mounted on theshaft IB,

bar I8. However, when and asthe treadle bar I8 is depressed a slightamount to ignite the lighter, the spring 20 then acts in a direction toproduce further downward pivoted movement of the treadle bar I8 aboutthe pivot pin 26. Such downward movement of the treadle bar l8 andupward movement of the cap 22 continues until the parts assume theposition shown in Figure 3, wherein they are in a position of stableequilibrium with the cap 22 in a raised position. The cap 22 ismaintained in such position shown in Figure 3, since it is observed thatthe spring 2!! assumes in overcentered position with respect to therotational axis of the cap 22. Figure 3 the spring 20 no longer tends topivot the cap 22 in a counterclockwise direction about In other words,in'

its pivot pin l9, but in a clockwise direction into.

abutting engagement with the treadle bar I8. In Figure 3 the spring 20tends to continue to pivot the treadle bar 18 in a counterclockwisedirection about its pivot pin 26, but its motion is limited, due to theengagement of the cap 22 with the treadle bar l8.

In order to maintain the spring 20 to produce theabove mentioneddesirable action, the legs of the spring 20 pass inwardly respectivelythrough the oppositely disposed apertures in the cap 22,

and also through a pair of oppositely slotted portions 32 in theopposite side walls of the hollowed treadle bar 18.

Figure 5 shows a modified arrangement in which the torque spring 20serves again as a link between the cap 22 and treadle bar l8, but theent invention have been shown and described, it

will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes andmodifications may be made without departing from this invention in itsbroader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is tocover all such changes and modifications as fall within thetruespiritand scope of this invention.

- I claim: 7

1. A pocket lighter involving: a lighter casing, a friction wheelrotatably mounted on said casing in operative relationship to producesparks when the friction Wheel is rotated, a cap member, acne-Way clutchconnecting said cap member to said friction wheel, said cap member beingpivotally mounted on said casing, a depresser bar mounted on saidcasingwith one of its ends adjacent said cap and the other one of itsends In other words, when the lighter is remote from said cap, saiddepresser bar being pivotally mounted on said casing at said other end,and a link member comprising a torque spring abutting both said capmember and said depresser bar, said torque spring having both of itsfree ends attached to said cap member with an intermediate portion ofsaid torque spring engaging said depresser bar.

2. A pocket lighter comprising: a casing, a depresser bar pivotallymounted at one of its-ends to said casing, a cap member rotatablymounted on said casing about a first axis adjacent to the other end ofsaid bar, a torque spring having both of its free ends connected to saidcap with an intermediae portion of said torque spring engaging saidother end of said bar to produce motion of said cap when said bar isdepressed, to thereby move said cap from a closed position to an openposition, said torque spring having a position with respect to thepivotal axes of said depresser bar and cap member and so biased as to urgesaid cap member toward its closed position and said depresser bar toits raised position,

3. A pocket li'ghter'involving: a li ghtercasing, a friction wheelrotatably mounted on said casing in operative relationship 'to producesparks when the friction wheel is rotated, a cap member, a one-wayclutch connecting said cap-mem' ber to said friction wheel, said capmember being pivotally mounted on said casing, a depresser bar mountedon said casing with one of its ends adjacent said cap and the other oneof its ends remote from said cap, said depresser bar being f REFERENCESCITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTs,

Number Name I Date 2,030,831 Lagerholm Feb. 11, 1936 2,210,322 KornerAug'. 6, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 Number Country Date 7 139,492 AustriaNov. 26, 1934 305,233 Great'Britain Aug. 2 9, 1929 382,440 Great BritainOct. 27, 1932 599,271 Great Britain Mar. 9, 1948 647,638 France July 31.1928

